The tribune George of Cappadocia came to a city named Silena in the province of Libya. Next to that city was a body of water like a sea in which a pestilential dragon lurked, which often set in flight the people armed against him and poisoned all with his breath when he approached the city walls. Wherefore the citizens were compelled to give over to it two sheep every day in order to allay its wrath. Otherwise it would invade the city and poison the air such that many died.

Now when the sheep were mostly gone, because they no longer had such abundance they decided to offer a sheep together with a human. Now all the sons and daughters of men were offered by lot. Fate sparing nobody, now almost all the sons and daughters were devoured, and the lot fell to the only daughter of the king to be taken away and given over tot he dragon. Then the saddened king said, “take gold and silver and half of my realm, but send my daughter back to me, that she not die such a death.” To whom the people furiously responded, “It was you, O king, who issued this edict. All of our children are now dead, and you wish to save your daughter! Unless you bring to finish in your daughter that which you ordained for the others, we shall burn you and your house down.” The king, seeing this, began to cry for his daughter saying, “Alas, my most sweet daughter, what shall I do with you? What shall I say? Shall I ever see you married?” And turning to the people he said, “I beseech that you grant me a stay of eight days of mourning.” When the people agreed to this, they returned eight days later in a state of fury saying, “Why on account of your daughter do you destroy your people? Behold, we all die in the breath of the dragon.” Then the king, seeing that he could not free his daughter, dressed her in royal clothing and embracing her with tears said, “O me, my most sweet daughter, I believed I would raise my children in the royal lap, but now you go to be devoured by a dragon. Alas, my most sweet daughter, I hoped to invite princes to your wedding, to adorn the palace with pearls, to hear drums and organs, but now you go to be devoured by a dragon.” And kissing her warmly he sent her off saying, “O, my daughter, that I would die before you, rather than you be thusly lost.” Then she fell at her father’s feet begging her father’s blessing. And when her father had blessed her with tears, she proceeded to the lake.

Now when the blessed George, who by chance was passing through, saw him weeping, he questioned her for whom the king wept. She said, “Good youth, quickly mount your horse and flee, lest you also die with me. To which George replied, “Do not fear, daughter, but tell me in front of everybody what you wish!” And she said, “I see, good youth, that you are of a great heart, that you would desire to die with me! Escape quickly!” And George said, “Hence shall I not depart, until you tell me what you would have.” Now when she had explained everything to him, George said, “Daughter, fear not, because I will help you in Christ’s name.” And she replied, “Good soldier, if you hurry to save yourself, you shall not die with me. It is enough that I alone should die. For you cannot free me and you would die with me.”

As she said these things, lo, the approaching dragon lifted his head from the lake. Then the girl, struck with fear, said, “Flee, good lord, flee quickly!” Then mounting his horse George strengthened himself with the sign of the cross and boldly set against the approaching dragon. He violently shook his lance and, commending himself to God, gravely wounded the dragon and brought it down. Then he said to the girl, “throw your belt about the dragon’s neck, daughter, without tarrying.”

When she had done this, the followed her like the tamest of dogs. When she led it into the city, the people who saw it began to run through the hills and valleys saying, “Wo to us, for now we all shall die!” Then blessed George signaled them saying, “Fear not, for this the Lord sent me to you, to free you from the dragon’s scourge. Believe only in Christ and each of you be baptized and I shall slay the dragon.” Then the king and all the people were baptized and blessed George slew the dragon with unsheathed sword and ordered them to carry it out of the city. Then four oxen lead it out into a great field. On that day 20 thousand souls were baptized, not counting women and children. The king built a church of wondrous size in honor of blessed Mary and blessed George. From its altar a spring of living water flowed forth that healed all the sick. The king truly did offer blessed George boundless wealth, but he did not want it and said it ought to be given to the poor. Then he enjoined the king four things, that he take care of the churches of God, the he honor the priests, that he diligently hear the divine office and always be mindful of the poor; and then having given the king a kiss he departed. Now in some books you read that when the dragon came forth to devour the girl, George strengthened himself with the sign of the cross, attacked the dragon and killed it.